Volunteers will be the focus of a celebration Friday by the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office at the annual Volunteers in Police Service Recognition Luncheon.
More than 230 volunteers contributed to nearly 70,000 documented hours in 2013 to the sheriff’s office. That donation of time equates to a $1.3 million in-kind contribution by these volunteers who did various things from parking enforcement, finger printing, working inside courthouses, and many other assignments throughout the county.
Volunteers who have accumulated between 100 and 1,000 hours will be honored Friday with the Presidential Service Award, while those achieving more than 4,000 lifetime volunteer hours will receive the President’s Lifetime Service Award.
Five volunteers will be selected in different categories for volunteer of the year. They include John Simmons in the citizen service unit category, Ian Goalan in parking enforcement, Suzanne Baginskie in support services, Lee Pagillo and Brenda Webb in mounted unit, and Lester McMahan in citizen service.
Simmons, a field training officer and volunteer since 2005, has contributed to training, development and implementing the agency’s new dispatch system within the volunteer unit. Goalan, a volunteer with the parking enforcement unit since 2009, recently became a field training officer and has displayed a commitment to the unit, the sheriff’s office said.
Baginskie is tasked with sending out meeting reminders, informing members of special events, attending all citizen academies, and many other events in the community as a volunteer secretary. She has donated her time with the agency since 2009.
Both Pagillo and Webb have assisted in mounted rescue missions, community rides, mall parking lot patrols and several other events throughout the county on their own horses. They each accumulated more than 580 volunteer hours in 2013.
McMahan has volunteered with the sheriff’s office since 2011, and is a crew leader at Safety Town. In 2013, he contributed 1,853 hours of service — 36 hours a week — to the agency.
The event starts at 11 a.m., and takes place inside Spartan Manor, 6121 Massachusetts Ave., in New Port Richey.
Volunteers who have served for 10 years or more include:
• Donna True (18 years, Reserve)
• Angela Signoriello (18 years, Safety Town)
• Frances Creegan (17 years, Victim Advocate)
• Francis “Frank” Hunt (14 years, Parking Enforcement)
• Michael McCoy (13 years, Reserve)
• Barbara Grimes (13 years, Parking Enforcement)
• Warren Sheridan (12 years, Criminal Investigation Division)
• Joseph Seidel (12 years, Criminal Investigation Division)
• Steve Salagaras (12 years, Reserve)
• Janet Hochendoner (11 years, Safety Town)
• Gerald Hochendoner (11 years, Safety Town)
• Charles Bergevin (11 years, Crime Prevention)
• Carolyn Lodge (11 years, Crime Prevention)
• David Lodge (11 years, Crime Prevention)
• Elisabeth Kracik (11 years, Safety Town)
• Michael Pulaski (10 years, Parking Enforcement)
• Gennaro Palladino (10 years, Reserve)
• Nellie Robinson (10 years, Safety Town)
• Robert Engle (10 years, Citizens Service Unit)
• Kenneth Warzyn (10 years, Court Services)
